Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1887-01-08

devoted all her time to the fancied
needs of the fashionahly nervou,
mother. And because she was his
mother the noble girl bore with her.
This happened five years before the
time of which | write, and Susie was
then twenty-five.
All this time she had waited patiently
for some word of love or hope from
VIII; but meme ever came, iiii she iiad
settled her heart to quiet state, re.
solving TO devote her life to doing
good
Mr.. Evermond had grown fretful
and moody since the departure of his
son, and upon this New Years morn.
,ng he was unusually irritable. A
timid ring at the door-bell brought out
| the exclamation:
"There it goes! wish the beggars
were all in Tophetl Ann, go to the
door and drive that beggar away Box
her ears"
allow do you know that 1t is girl p
asked Susie, smiling, as she rose to
leave the room.
"Can't tell every style of beggar in
the city by their ring at the bell ?" he
snarled.
| Susie followed Ann TO the door, ar.
irving in time to hear timid little
voice say:
"Please, ma'am, | cannot go away
without seeing the masterl Mother is
dying and | must see him.
"An' whatll the likes of yer mither
be akin of him if she be dyin'p Be-
gone wild yer replied Ann, slamming
the door, and turning to Susie with a
sef-satished air,
"Let me speak to the child Susie
cried, opening the massive door with
her own hands.
I The little one stood upon the marble
sobbiRg with the abandon of childish
regret.
"Tell me az. about It, little boy" she
said, drawing tsse scantily clad child
into the hall, whis,.h was warm and
fragrant with the breath of rare how-
ers.
"My mamma is most dead, and she
told me If | could see Mr.. Etermond
and give him this paper he would tako
care of me. My papa is dead, and
Here the little fellow broke down and
oommanpad In eob wildly
"There therel Don't cryl Tell me
your name and give me the paper. !
will take it to Mr.. Evermond" said
Susie
"My name is Willie Evermond, and
oh, dear, have lost the paper. What
shall dof" cried the child
Susie put her jeweled hand to her
pale brow, There was a rush of feel
ing within too powerful to resist, and
for moment she was speeches..
When she found voice to speak the
tones were far off and hollow. She
asked:
"What was your fathers name?"
"Will, mother always called him.
He died four weeks ago. We have not
been in this country but five weeks"
was the reply.
Z" II must be Wills child" murmured
Susie, as she observed the resemblance
of the little face to one whose every
lineament was imprinted upon her
heart. "Five years since he went away.
This child is about four. Poor win
must have married soon after reaching
foreign shore" she soliloquized.
Then taking the child by the hand
she led him into the presence of Mr..
Evermond and told his simply story.
"Mr. Evermond was pale with anger.
"Take the brat away" he cried at
is but the artfully contrived story Of
some greedy wretch who thinks to
make money out of my troublesl Why,
Susiel only last week q little girl
came to me with pitiful story, claim
ing to be the child of my daughter
Nellie, who, she said, was dead. |
thought the child looked altogether too
much like some person | had seen, to
belong to my family, so / told her to
lead me to her home, and / would do
my duty by her She hesitated, but ] !
insisted, and she led the way to a filthy
street. and IN one Of the crowded tene I,
ment houses, found the mother of the
little girl, and who do you think it was :
Our old nurse, Mary Ann Galloway,
who lived with us when Nellie went
away, and knew all the particulars Of
the affair, Just as likely as any way.
this boy was sent by the same person
| shall not give him any money; show
him outr'
Susie led the child from the room
and bidding him wait for her in the
hall, quickly put on warm shawl, and
furs, and taking a hat from the ward |
robe she left the house i'm company
with him. Up one street and dowr
another, until it seemed that theJ
would never stop Susie followed this